The secretary of state has said he remains cautiouslyoptimistic that problems surrounding the St AndrewsAgreement can be resolved.

Speaking in Belfast, Peter Hain said he was not worriedabout the current NI political situation.

He said the row over the DUP insistence that Sinn Feinpledge support for the PSNI before electing first anddeputy first ministers was a glitch.

SF is debating whether to back the PSNI but "is not readyto vote on it".

Mr Hain said anyone who wanted to turn a glitch into acrisis had the ability to make that happen, but he did notbelieve it would happen.

The DUP wants a pledge of support for policing in placebefore DUP leader Ian Paisley and SF's Martin McGuinnesscan become shadow first and deputy first minister.

The St Andrews Agreement stated that before the governmentlegislated on the pledge of office, "it will consider theoutcome of further Preparation for Government Committeediscussions on policing and the rule of law".

The Northern Ireland parties have been given until 10November to respond to what the governments are calling theSt Andrews Agreement.

It was published after intensive three-day talks betweenthe parties at St Andrews in Scotland.

'Benefit greatly'

If all goes to plan, a first and deputy first minister willbe nominated on 24 November and the devolved institutionswill be up and running by 26 March.

Mr Hain was speaking at a plenary conference of theBritish-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body.

Politicians from across the UK and Ireland are meetingcolleagues from the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands forthe conference at the Waterfront Hall.

Joint chairman Pat Carey said the Republic of Ireland wasready to fund a package for Northern Ireland'sinfrastructure as part of a potential devolution deal.

"The north will benefit, but the south will benefitgreatly," he said

"The north-south economic corridor has been very important,but equally is the western corridor from Donegal, downthrough Cavan-Monaghan, Fermanagh, Galway, Sligo and rightdown into Clare.

"There is balanced and sustainable regional developmentright across the island."

A referendum in both parts of the island to ratify the StAndrews Agreement in the spring now appears unlikely,following a clear indication from the Northern Secretary,Peter Hain, yesterday that new elections to the NorthernAssembly, rather than a referendum, is the favoured option.

The Taoiseach had announced the Government's intention ofholding a referendum in the Republic to give constitutionalunderpinning to the St Andrews Agreement. This approach wasopposed by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who maintained thatconstitutional change was unnecessary.

Speaking at the meeting of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body in Belfast yesterday, Mr Hain said thatwhile a decision on whether or not to hold a referendum inthe Republic was a matter for the Irish Government, it washis view that the St Andrews Agreement did not involvechanges in the Belfast Agreement of a constitutional kind.

He was responding to a question from the Fine Gael Justicespokesman, Jim O'Keeffe, who asked him his views on theconstitutional implications.

Mr Hain said that if the St Andrews Agreement wasimplemented as planned there would be some kind ofconsultative process with the voters in February or Marchof next year. either through, a referendum, North andSouth, or elections to the Assembly.

Accepting that the St Andrews Agreement did not involve aconstitutional change in the Belfast Agreement, he said itwas a matter for the Irish Government and the AttorneyGeneral, Rory Brady, to decide on whether they would have areferendum. He added that one of the problems about areferendum was that there would have to be financialbacking from the state for both the yes and no campaigns.

Mr Hain said that the two largest parties in the North, theDUP and Sinn Féin, favoured an election rather than areferendum with the DUP in particular being attached to thenotion of an election in order to give them both a clearmandate and a four-year term of office.

He said that the next Assembly election is scheduled forMay 2008 but there was an argument about whether it madesense to have an election at that stage, when the Executivewould only have been in power for a year, or whether itwould be better to have one immediately so that it couldhave a clear four-year term ahead of it.

Mr Hain said he was "pretty optimistic" that the St AndrewsAgreement would work and he said that the current glitcheswere just that and should not prove insurmountable.

"The growth and economic advance in the Republic has turnedit into a global success story. There has never been a morefavourable time to have a permanent political settlement,"he said.

When asked whether the Republic should contributefinancially to the development of the Northern economy hepointed out that funding had been provided for DerryAirport and that similar cross-border funding made sense.

He said that there had been pressure from the Republic todevelop the Ulster Canal and it was an obvious case forfunding from the southern side of the Border.

Sinn Féin Councillor Larry O'Toole has been named vicechairperson of the Dublin Joint Policing Committee at itsinaugural meeting this afternoon. Speaking after hisappointment councillor O'Toole said he will use his newposition to strengthen the committee and to promote genuinepartnership between the Gardaí and local communities.

He said, "I am very pleased to have been appointed vicechair of the new Dublin Joint Policing Committee. I willwork in this capacity to strengthen the powers of thecommittee and to promote genuine partnership between theGardaí and local communities.

"People across Dublin will be looking to this committee tooffer solutions to the scourge of anti-social behaviour andopen drug dealing in our communities and I will be workingto ensure that is exactly what they get.

"Sinn Féin is calling for a series of public meetings totake place across the city in the coming months to allowgreater input on these issues from local communities. Iwould encourage as many people as possible to attend thesemeetings." ENDS

A judge in Dublin has directed that a not guilty verdict befound in the trial of two Irish police officers.

Liam Donnelly and John Fahy were charged with perjuryduring the trial five years ago of Colm Murphy on Omaghbomb conspiracy charges.

However, the judge said evidence against the men wasinadmissible.

Mr Murphy's conviction and 14-year jail sentence wasquashed last year after the Appeal Court found the evidenceof the two gardai was unreliable.

He faces a retrial next year.

Mr Murphy was charged with conspiracy to cause the Omaghbomb.

The evidence against him was substantially based on thealleged use of his mobile phones by some of the bombers.

At his trial in 2001 and in 2002, the Special CriminalCourt in Dublin heard evidence from experts called by MrMurphy's defence who examined interrogation notes usingelectrostatic document analysis and said that those takenby Detectives Fahy and Donnelly had been altered.

The tests concluded that a different page had been added totheir notes.

The two detectives swore on oath that they did not alterthe interview notes, but the judges at Mr Murphy's trialconcluded that the detectives had altered the notes andsaid they had lied in court in their evidence.

However, at Monday's hearing, both Mr Donnelly and Mr Fahywere found not guilty of two counts of perjury and werealso acquitted of two counts of forging notes of interviewwith Mr Murphy.

Delivering his verdict the judge said that the prosecutionhad been unable to establish a chain of custody in relationto the original notes of interview or of the laterelectrostatic document analysis.

Police have fired rubber bullets at anti-governmentprotesters today, as Hungary commemorated the 50thanniversary of its anti-Soviet uprising.

President Mary McAleese is in Hungary today forcommemorations to mark the 50th anniversary of thecountry's 1956 uprising against communism.

Mrs McAleese will join other international dignitaries at aceremony to remember those who died when the nationwiderebellion against Soviet rule was brutally suppressed.

An Associated Press speaking on the fracas todayphotographer said one protester was hit in the head by arubber bullet and was bleeding, but still conscious.

Authorities also fired water cannon and tear gas todisperse the crowds.

Protests on Kossuth Square outside parliament started onSeptember 17, when a recording was leaked revealingsocialist prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany admitting thatthe government lied about the economy before its re-election in April.

The protesters had vowed to stay until Gyurcsany wasdismissed, but police pushed them off the square after theyrefused to submit to security checks.

However, authorities did not dismantle the dozens of tentsset up by the protesters, and were expected to allow thedemonstrators to return after today’s events.

As the commemoration events began, state news wire MTI saidpolice beat some of the protesters – including women andelderly people – with rubber batons, leaving some with headinjuries.

By late afternoon, protesters began gathering in differentspots near the centre of the city.

A few hundred protesters set up road blocks with rubbishbins and threw rocks at the police dressed in riot gear,who used large amounts of tear gas and several water cannonto disperse them on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Road, near St.Stephen’s Basilica.

At the same time, Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Union, the maincentre-right opposition group, was holding their own 1956commemoration just a few blocks away. According to MTI,over 100,000 people were at the rally.

The North's economy is not sustainable in its present formaccording to the British secretary Peter Hain.

Mr Hain hinted today that big changes are on the way in thenorth whether or not Sinn Féin and the DUP agree to powersharing.

He also said that if the current glitch between the DUP andSinn Féin becomes a crisis, the Stormont Assembly willcollapse.

Speaking at the British Irish inter parliamentary bodymeeting in Belfast, he said: “The economy is notsustainable in its present form. It’s got far too small aprivate sector, far too bureaucratic and bloated in itsadministrative public sector.”

He also said that the educational systems needed reform:“We’ve got enormously wasteful educational provision, withsegregation and separation imposing huge costs and waste oftens of millions of pounds.”

Support for policing and powersharing were essential forprogress in the North, the Church of Ireland primate,Archbishop Robin Eames, said yesterday after his firstformal meeting with Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.

Dr Eames led a delegation of Church of Ireland bishops, allwith dioceses in the North, in what were described as thefirst "public" talks with Mr Adams and senior Sinn Féinpoliticians at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, yesterday.Both men agreed the meeting was important and positive.

While Sinn Féin politicians have held private meetings withDr Eames and other Church of Ireland bishops, this was thefirst one to be publicly acknowledged.

Dr Eames, at a press conference and in a statementafterwards, said the meeting touched on many issues,including policing, sectarianism, devolution, theDisappeared, parades, education, collusion, equality andpoverty.

He also referred to how the dispute over the pledge ofoffice for the prospective first minister and deputy firstminister - Dr Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness - hadstalled plans for a face-to-face Programme for GovernmentCommittee meeting between Mr Adams and the DUP leader.

"We are anxious to see progress; we are anxious to seemovement. Above all else, at the end of the day we want tosee a Northern Ireland that is at peace with itself," saidDr Eames.

He said while he was aware of the sensitivities of SinnFéin over policing, "we also put on the table thesensitivities of those who want to see Sinn Féin and allthe parties supporting the police".

He did not directly say that now was the time for the DUPto share power with Sinn Féin, although he made clear thatthe twin issues of powersharing and policing should bespeedily resolved. "The bishops stated their belief thatpolitical and social progress can only be achieved by fulland equal participation in the structures of democracy withsupport for policing," said Dr Eames.

In a reference to republican violence, Dr Eames said at themeeting he "stressed the hurt that is still harboured amongparishes that we deal with, and how we deal with memoriesand how we look back to the things of the past in terms ofhow we move forward".

At his separate press conference, Mr Adams indicated thatif the dispute over the pledge was not resolved by Fridayit could become a serious problem. Behind-the-scenesefforts are continuing to try to find an accommodation onthe issue that would satisfy both the DUP and Sinn Féin."If there is a will it can be sorted out," he said.

Mr Adams said of the meeting: "There was a certain humourand wry irony that - and I said this to the bishops - wewere able, as a Sinn Féin leadership, to welcome the Churchof Ireland bishops to Stormont. I thought that was part ofthe changing times in which we live in."

Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Robin Eames has said"the time has come for Sinn Féin to come on board wherepolicing is concerned" in Northern Ireland. He has alsowarned that a drawn-out peace process is producing a publicindifference which is "dangerous for democracy".

Speaking to The Irish Times before yesterday's meeting withSinn Féin, he said he could understand republicanreservations about the RUC in the old days, but he felt thePSNI was deserving of cross-community support.

He led a delegation of bishops in the Church of Ireland'sfirst formal meeting with Sinn Féin yesterday morning atStormont. Accompanying him were other northern bishops,including Bishop Alan Harper of Connor diocese, BishopMichael Jackson of Clogher, Bishop Ken Good of Derry andRaphoe, and Bishop Ken Clarke of Kilmore.

The bishops said they addressed "an urgent need to makepolitical progress", which they believe can only beachieved by full and equal participation in and commitmentto the structures of democracy.

They emphasised the fundamental link between politicalstability and full civic participation by all. The Churchof Ireland has already met the Ulster Unionist Party,Alliance Party, and SDLP representatives and is currentlyseeking a meeting with the DUP.

Archbishop Eames, who is the most senior primate in theworld-wide Anglican Communion, retires at the end of thisyear, bringing to an end a clerical career which hasspanned the entirety of the Troubles. Ordained priest in1964, he became Bishop of Derry and Raphoe in 1975, andPrimate of All-Ireland in 1986.

Referring to the experience of being primate during theTroubles, he said one of the privileges of being primatethrough such a period was having an opportunity to see"people at their best, when it came to courage andendurance".

It was to witness "honest human nature at its highest," hesaid. It also meant witnessing what "dreadful violence doesto people, supporting them through bereavement, carryingout various funerals, and trying to help them make sense ofit all".

That also entailed personal loneliness. "I have had myfaith challenged, though I never lost it, over questions ofgood and evil."

The churches in Ireland had had "to develop a spontaneityto react to events. They became a social ambulance service,developing an instantaneous theology to find ways ofinterpreting Christ to people who suffered dreadful loss,"he said.

Yet, despite seeing so much of the dark side of humannature during those years, there were also "some amazinghappenings which could only be the workings of the HolySpirit".

He recalled a woman who lost two family members toterrorism, and who said to him, "I cannot tell you why orhow but I want to forgive them [ the killers], if only theywould help me understand, why".

He felt that "how people deal with their memories" willdetermine so much of the future, for themselves personallyand for the wider community.

He did not believe a South African-style truth andreconciliation commission would work in the North, but away had to be found to help people find closure.

Detection, where crimes were involved, was best. But itwould not be possible in all cases. Memory would probablyhave to be dealt with person to person.

He agreed with those who said the unsung heroes of theTroubles were "clergy, on the ground". For his own part, heinterrogated himself as to whether he could have done more."I am very conscious of what I have failed to do," he said.

He wondered whether he was "always as prophetic as I shouldhave been in spelling out the consequences of the attitudesI came across". Or whether he had applied gospelimperatives as answers to situations he came across. He wasalso conscious "that, perhaps, none of us did all wecould".

On the positive side there was the building of bridges atchurch leadership level, whereby Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich,Cardinal Cahal Daly, and Archbishop Seán Brady had become"personal friends". They had "shared responsibilities andworries, some of which never emerged in the public arena".

His own role in helping bring about the loyalist ceasefire"brought some satisfaction", and he was "very, verygrateful" when loyalists also expressed regret. His rolethen opened doors to government and politicians. He wasseen as a conduit to then Ulster Unionist leader LordMolyneaux, a Church of Ireland member, but he saw himselfas a conduit between the two communities.

He developed "a very good relationship with John Major, whois still a friend, and Albert [ Reynolds]." Had Mr Majorremained on in office, "he would be seen today as theBritish prime minister who did more for peace in Irelandthan any other. He was sincere and thorough, a tremendouslistener".

The archbishop believed relationships between the Irishchurches had come "a very long way", and he was himself "acommitted ecumenist".

"Co-operation and understanding has never been better."There had been great progress on issues such as inter-church marriage and baptism, but inter-Communion remaineddivisive.

He felt churches had to learn that society was moving onand people were losing patience. But some were slow torecognise society was changing "where the usefulness ofchurches is concerned, and where they have to compete forpeople's attention".

Meanwhile sectarianism was alive and well, particularly inthe North, which he described as a "frontier" society,while the South was "quicker to embrace" concepts such asEurope, for example. "In a church sense many in the Northsee their southern colleagues as more liberal, moreaccommodating of difference." Northerners would be "moretraditional".

Also, "behind the smokescreen of the Troubles, secularismcame of age - very much in reaction to the Troubles". Manyhad disengaged, with a-plague-on-all-your-houses attitude.There had been similar disengagement from politics due tothe prolonged peace process, a disengagement which was"very dangerous for democracy".

Up to six Islamist terrorist groups had units in theRepublic three years ago to deliver financial and logisticsupport to other cells abroad, according to declassifiedofficial US papers.

The documents, detailing contacts between the US embassy inDublin and Washington-based agencies, were released to RTÉunder the US Freedom of Information Act.

Asked if any "foreign terrorist groups" had a presence inIreland, the embassy named the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Al-Gama'at al-Islamiyah, the Algerian Armed Islamic Group, al-Qaeda, and "possibly Hamas and the Palestinian IslamicJihad".

Asked to describe the presence, the embassy said there are"operational support, logistical and financial cellslocated in Ireland". Asked if there are "any ethnic orreligious communities in the country that are sympatheticto these groups", the embassy said yes. Asked if there hadbeen any anti-American demonstrations in Ireland over theprevious 12 months, the embassy said yes, and estimated theaverage size of a protest at between "30 to 300 people".

Meanwhile, the embassy also told the US state departmentthat there were "suspect non-governmental organisations inthe country that have a relationship" with some of thegroups.

In another briefing document prepared for the 2002 visit bythe then US health secretary Tommy Thompson, the then USambassador, Richard Egan, said the Government had "offeredcrucial support" to the US in its role as president of theUN Security Council following September 11th.

"Moreover, despite strong public opposition to any US-ledmilitary action against Iraq - with or without UN SecurityCouncil authorisation - the Government of Ireland voted onNovember 8th, along with the other 14 UNSC members, tosupport the strong US/UK-sponsored resolution". Theresolution passed on that date found Iraq to be "inmaterial breach of its obligations" and vowed "seriousconsequences if Iraq did not fully and immediately disarm".

Fine Gael TD Billy Timmins said reports that Islamicterrorist cells were operating in Ireland three years agowere profoundly worrying.

"It is vital that the necessary funding be made availableto our own intelligence services to counter threats such asthese. I do not believe this has happened to date," saidthe Wicklow TD.

It's a great weekend to grab up friends and family and headoff to nearby Plantersville for the 32nd Annual TexasRenaissance Festival -- a Lone Star tradition and the oneof the oldest and largest fairs of its kind in the nation.Take yourself back to a simpler time -- the 16th century,to be precise -- for the festival, which is open from 9AM’til dark every Saturday and Sunday through November 19,brings to life the sights and sounds, events and food ofthat time so very long ago.

From the time they popped up on the West Coast in the earlyto mid 1960’s, renaissance festivals have maintained enoughgrowth in the latter part of the last century to officiallybecome a nationwide pursuit, turning innumerable homegrownhobbies into cottage industries while emerging as a genuineentertainment phenomenon. With dozens of renaissancefestivals across the country and more starting up eachyear, the seasonal festival circuit employs a large numberof entertainers that have found their own definite niche.

Part of the popularity is that there is a little somethingfor everyone at the Texas Renaissance Festival: thrillthree time days to the most extreme of sports, the RoyalJoust; get lost in the beauty of the seven gardens of NewMarket Village -- which also houses over 300 arts & craftsand gift vendors and international cuisine at 60 food &beverage shops. In the mood to marry? There’s two weddingchapels on the festival grounds, along with 21 stages withover 200 performances daily; meet over 3,000 costumedcharacters daily and cap off your visit to the past with anightly display of Royal Fireworks.

Entertainment: Just as it was in days of old, liveentertainment is a must at the Texas Renaissance Festival.See stage shows and exhibitions filled with levity and darkages wonderment like The Ded Bob Show, The Other Brothers,The Sturdy Beggars, Hanlon Lee’s Action Theatre, JoustingKnights and Steeds, The Washing Well Wenches and Birds ofPrey, made up of demonstrations from the handlers fromEarthQuest, a non-profit environmental educationorganization.

By utilizing their experiences and skills, EarthQuestfounders Robby Sinkler and Steve Hoddy enhance awarenessand illustrate the true nature of animals with livedemonstrations of their natural abilities through trainedbehavior in a controlled environment. Says Sinkler andHoddy: “We feel that our programs bring a sense of realismto many people that have never had the opportunity to seethese animals in person and we hope it brings them a littlecloser to nature.”

The Texas Renaissance Festival also offers something foreveryone, bringing its audiences the best in themedentertainment on over twenty stages and two hundred dailyperformances. See specialty performances like The RoyalCourt, Robin Hood, The German Court, The Fantasy Realm, TheFrench Court, The English Court, The Queen's Men, The JoustMaidens, The Italian Court, The Scottish Court, The SpanishCourt, The Joust Maidens, The Puppeteers, The Feast, TheExecutioners, The Wenches, The Conquistadors, Commedia andThe Pirates.

Medieval Music: Showcasing traditional and innovativeCeltic music from Scotland, Ireland and Brittany, with amix of world percussion from Arabia, Africa, and America,Houston-based Tartanic creates a fusion of contrastingmusical conventions which is nothing short of explosive. Asthe jigs and reels of the past are spun into the musicalworld of the future Tartanic runs, reels, and romps acrossthe stage taking live performance to heart and creating ahigh-energy pulse at 120 beats per minute and beyond.Tartanic fills a much needed niche in Celtic music, takingtunes out of the session and into the sensational withhumor and theatrics. This is not just music; this is aninteractive spectacle -– it is a “Tartanic Experience”

Meantime, Cantiga is a musical ensemble whose name means“song” in the language of Alfonso The Wise -- the 13thcentury Spanish King of the Three Religions, whose royalcourt was a haven for Christian, Muslim, and Jewishmusicians. It is in this tradition Cantiga is committed tothe inclusive spirit of improvisation which has flourishedamong musicians in cultural crossroads throughout history.

Cantiga came together in the early 70's, when harpistMartha Gay, fiddler Malcolm Smith and flute and recorderspecialist Bob Bielefeld played the Texas RenaissanceFestival after discovering a mutual interest in ancientmelodies and a flair for jamming. They were joined in the80's by cellist Max Dyer, Conrado Garcia and fiddlers MarkCaudill and Michelle Levy, who moved from Boston to jointhe band following the passing of Malcolm Smith in 1996.

Bielefeld does most of the heavy lifting when it comes toresearch, spending long hours in early music libraries atRice, Cornell, UT and Eastman while copying centuries-oldsheet music. Then it’s a slow process of figuring out howto decipher” the indecipherable scratchings of musicianswho belong to an age long gone. Band members then addpretty chords, a shameful modern imposition to an earlymusic purist, but necessary for a folk group. Check outCantiga at the Texas Renaissance Festival and discovertheir recordings at CDBaby.com.

Cast In Bronze shows off the haunting beauty of thecarillon -- a medieval tower structure that was used tohold a collection of musical bells, which are suspended ina immobile manner and the clappers are connected to amechanical keyboard played with fists and feet. Expertplaying requires musical dexterity, strength and endurance,an art form that is rarely seen and slowly but surelydisappearing from the planet. Today, many carillons havefallen into disrepair or are simply no longer playedbecause of lack of funding or interest.

At the Texas Renaissance Festival, the carillon is playedby a silent and masked “spirit” that appears only tobreathe life into the instrument for the performance. Aone-man show, Cast In Bronze has performed for the latePope John Paul II and at presidential inaugurations, WaltDisney World’s Epcot Center in Orlando, at otherrenaissance festivals around the nation and on NBC’s “TodayShow.”

Meantime, the musical duo known as E Muzeki, native TexansMark Varelas and Jenny O'Connor, both first played musictogether in fall of 1999 as founders of a Greek band; ashared passion for exotic sounding music carried thembeyond Greek music both in genre and instrumentation totheir world music project, E Muzeki. Expanding upon hismusical skills, Varelas has added the various sounds ofFlamenco guitar, Irish whistle and sitar to hisaccomplishments on the Greek bouzouki and steel stringguitar. O’Connor plays Celtic fiddle, steel string guitar,Gypsy violin and sitar.

Drawing from Gypsy, Greek, Spanish and Celtic traditionswhile not being bound by them, the group has developed aunique and captivating style. Whether playing actual folkrepertoire, or one of their original compositions, E Muzekibrings fresh emotion to ancient musical tradition, drawinglisteners of all ages and from every walk of life.

E Muzeki recorded their debut CD, "Mavra Matia," in 2003.The album was met with praise and quickly sold out of itsfirst printing. The duo’s second CD, "Sindh," was releasedin 2005. In addition to unique and interesting arrangementsof traditional repertoire, original material makes up aboutone third of the new album.

Gardens: Take a few moments for yourself -- or with thatspecial someone -- and enjoy nature with the seven gardenlocated on the festival grounds. There’s the Fons FloridaAeterna Water Garden -- a 2200 square foot gardenconstructed with Venetian architecture for a serenesetting.

In tribute to the War of the Roses, there’s a 2800 squarefoot rose garden much like the one commissioned by KingHenry VIII. White columns and Italian Cypress treessurround The Roman Bascilica Roman Garden -- originallyerected by the Romans as a temple to Aphrodite. “Awonderful place to dream” can be found in Titania’s BowerEnglish Garden -- a 4500 square foot English garden.

Meantime, The Magic Garden Fantasy Garden features sixsanctuaries for rest and revitalization. Each sanctuary’stheme is represented by its flora: bromeliads for health,roses for romance, orchids for beauty, azaleas forhappiness, freshly cut flowers for wealth, and the vinegoddess for wisdom.

Shoppes such as Mariposa offers art from around the worldand “treasures from distinct corners of the globe” whileHouse Morningstar deals in historical clothing andaccessories, pewter ware and leather goods. Arkansas’Hollow Earth Sword Works gets into the spirit of the TexasRenaissance Festival by offering up the finest woodenswords in the world. “We have reinvented the wooden sword,”says craftsman Steven Archote, “blending pure function andsleek styling to produce a superior practice sword that isbeautiful and balanced, yet can withstand the rigors ofserious sparring.”

Hollow Earth also makes the finest -- and only -- authenticfully-functioning all-wood crossbow with lever-trigger andhand wrought bowstring. For wearing your sword at theready, Archote offers a full line of leather belts, swordfrogs, back slings, baldrics and bracers. “We believe thatour years of research and test-fighting, and our fanaticalattention to quality and design, have prepared us to buildthe finest wooden swords in the world.”

Are you a Frodo wannabe? Want to look like one of theknights of King Arthur’s Round Table? Or you’re reallyserious about the ongoing game of Dungeons N’ Dragonshappening in your rumpus room? Whatever the case may be,check out Lord Entropy’s Armour & Leather, a Houston-basedenterprise that can take you back in time in a costume thatcan be custom made to your specifications -- including“fetish ware.” Go by Lord Entropy’s Armour & Leather at theTexas Renaissance Festival or visit their location at 15534West Hardy. 1-800-895-6931.

Other unique merchants featured at the Texas RenaissanceFestival include Bamboo Friends, Dragon Studios, HeirloomJewelry, Medieval Metal, Elegant Edibles, ExcaliburLeather, The Enchanted Cottage, Authentic Wardrobe, TheRoyal Fan Shoppe, Fellowship Foundry, Old World FamilyNames, Big Time Jewelry, Caricatures by Sir Harry,Legendary Candles, Lost Island Trading, Bald MountainLeather & Moccasins and Ballena Bay Pewter: one of theearth’s earliest metals, pewter has been worked by theancient Greeks, Romans and Asians; the English restored thedignity of pewter and incorporated it into their dailylives during the days of the Renaissance.

Located in Tucson, Ballena Bay Pewter uses the highest ofgrades available in the marketplace today: 92 percent tin,6 percent antimony and two percent copper. Ballena BayPewter uses all the traditional methods for creating pewter-- including hand casting, hand spinning, raising andplannishing. During the Texas Renaissance Festival, BallenaBay Pewter is displaying dozens of pewter products of alldifferent sizes, shapes and genres.

Want to look like a fetching maiden all year long? WhenTeri Evans established Unicorn Clothing in 1973, sellingher original clothing at street fairs and craft shows, aRenaissance revival was underway and with it a renewedinterest in "the look": peasant-style blouses, full-layeredskirts and form fitting bodices.

The Medieval Clothing Guild was powerful and prominent inthe world of commerce opened by Marco Polo, Magellan andColumbus whose explorations exposed Europe to the culturesand treasures of far-off places. The colorful, intricatelytrimmed garments attest to the craftsmanship of thespinners, weavers, dyers and lace makers of the time.Teri's original designs are rooted in these fashiontraditions. Check out the look at unicornclothing.com.

Elsewhere, The Village Alchemist offers up heirloom qualityartwork created with porcelain, used for centuries in finechinaware. All of the colors in the artwork are made byadding stains and minerals, coloring the clay body itself,a style made popular by Wedgwood. Miniature paintings,painted with solid colored porcelain sometimes using overtwenty different colored clays. Each piece is high firedmaking the colors in the pieces permanent. With good care,they have the ability to last for centuries if not longer.

Food & Drink: Slay your appetite at The Texas RenaissanceFestival, which, through the years, has become know theworld over for the quality and variety of its culinarydelights. Feeling famished? Munch on a giant fire roastedturkey leg or a scrumptious Scottish egg, Steak-on-a-Stake,spicy fajita tacos, tasty empanadas, handmade fudge &pastries and ripe and juicy fruit fresh from the King’sOrchards. Whether it be called grog, mead or ale, the TexasRenaissance Festival’s 14 pubs offer a selection ofdomestic and imported beer, along with fine wines andfrozen margaritas.

Theme Weekends: Roman Bacchanal, held on October 21 and 22,is described as “the ultimate toga party,” while AllHallows Eve, happening on October 28 and 29, is a time forghosts and goblins celebrate the scariest of holidays witha costume contest and prizes.

Find yourself transported to Scotland during the HighlandFling -- a wild weekend of “dancing, singing and drinking”happening November 4 and 5; Next up is a celebration ofSpain and the discovery of the New World during Glorias deEspana on November 11 and 12. Finally, the holiday seasonis ushered in with plenty of “16th century grandeur” -- anda visit from a certain jolly someone -- during CelticChristmas on November 18 and 19.

Games & Rides: There’s plenty of medieval fun for even thelittlest peasant at the Texas Renaissance Festival, with avariety of games and wonders with human-powered rides andauthentic games of skill. Among the fun: a maze, archeryand axe throwing demonstrations, candle making, carriagerides, a petting zoo, elephant and camel rides, carouselsand swings, Jacob’s Ladder, The Crystal Mine, pony rides,sand art, star throwing demonstrations, ring toss andworking with wax -- just to name a few. Rides and games areseparate from the admission price, with most priced between$2 to $5 a person.

School Days: History comes alive with an exciting new eventfor interactive learning at the Texas Renaissance Festival.School Days allows students to step back in time to see upclose the explosive rebirth of culture, art, science andliterature of the Renaissance Period. Hundreds of costumedcharacters lead you into laughter and learning as all ofEurope pays homage to Queen Katherine on her birthday.Students will meet the kings and queens of three countries,William Shakespeare and Spanish conquistadors.

Students also get to see jousting and period dances withKing Henry VIII and his queen while learning the history ofarms and armor. Artists and actors dressed in periodcostumes illustrate the technological advances anddiscoveries of the renaissance age through demonstrationsin pottery, glass blowing, blacksmithing, armor making, andother diverse arts and trades of this amazing period. Homeschoolers welcome. Reservations required. For moreinformation on School Days, call festival educationcoordinator Lorraine Brown at 1-800-458-3435.

Tickets: $21 for adults at the gate, $10 for children ages5 through 12 and can also be found at a nearby location ofWoodforest National Bank. Tickets to the King’s Feast andvarious wine & beer tasting events are available from TheMerchant Prince at 1-800-224-0761.

More than 100 films from 17 countries will be screened atthis year's Kerry Film Festival. At the launch of theseventh annual Samhlaíocht Kerry Film Festival yesterday atthe Great Blasket Centre in Dún Chaoin, west Kerry,Minister for Arts, John O'Donoghue said film production wasa major player in the economy.

"Apart from creative reasons, the key advantage of locatinga production in Ireland has been Section 481," MrO'Donoghue said.

He said 2006 was a record year, with some 17 film and TVproductions underway. This included the TV drama series TheTudors, with Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys-Meyers asHenry VIII, currently shooting in Ardmore Studios and inDublin.

That production had a total budget of €29 million, around€19 million of which would be spent in the Republic, MrO'Donoghue outlined.

"Section 481's availability to television is now a keycompetitive advantage for Ireland," he said.

However, partly as a result of US film incentives to keepproduction at home, there were no large budget featureshere this year. He warned that complacency could not beallowed to set in in a climate of growing globalcompetition to secure the big productions.

Attractive film breaks, production incentives, a goodtalent pool and studio complexes to meet the needs of high-budget productions were now being offered by many countriesaround the world, including the US.

"Ireland now holds its own due to our talent pool andincentives package," he said.

The week-long festival is taking place around the countyand is in association with Ardmore Studios and supported byRTÉ's Lyric FM. As well as international short films, italso features masterclasses in film-making.

A top prize of €10,000 will be awarded to the bestdirector. There are also prizes for best animation, bestexperimental, best documentary and best Irish short - to bejudged by an international panel.

Other events include the screening of the animated classicThe Iron Giant and this year's music documentary FleetwoodMac - Rumours will be introduced by its director, DavidHeffernan, on Friday next. An audience choice award isbeing introduced by John Moore, director of The Omen 666.

A panel discussion at the Institute of Technology Traleealong with two documentary shorts will focus on planning -one of the most heated issues in the county - anddevelopment in the Republic and the HSE South aresupporting a screening of Calendar Girls for active retiredgroups around the county.

The masterclass programme, sponsored by Fás Screen TrainingIreland, includes a production workshop with Hollywoodproducer Ned Dowd, who recently worked on Mel Gibson'sMayan epic, Apocalypto.